Thomas Cook pilots call off strike planned for Friday

LONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Pilots for Thomas Cook on Wednesday called off a strike planned for later this week following talks with the British tour operator over an ongoing pay dispute.

The pilots went on strike earlier this month in what the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) said was the first walkout by British pilots in more than 40 years.

Further strikes were called and pilots walked out again last weekend after talks brokered by the have been facilitated by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) failed.

But Thomas Cook said a strike planned for Friday was now off. The company had previously said that industrial action had not caused flight cancellations.

“Following talks between BALPA and Thomas Cook this week, BALPA has called off the strike scheduled for this Friday 29 September,” Thomas Cook said in a statement.

“BALPA is now consulting its members on a plan to go to arbitration. Thomas Cook remains keen to resolve this dispute in the interest of all those involved. We await the response of BALPA’s members.” (Reporting by Alistair Smout, Editing by Paul Sandle)